


Healing

by Mother3Official (triedpklove)



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, haha chapter 27 surely did take a toll on rider, i love projection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 00:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19756732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triedpklove/pseuds/Mother3Official
Summary: Having your mind hijacked by a phone is something no one really expects to happen. Unfortunately, it happened to Rider, and hasn’t left him alone sense. At least he has his friends by his side, but will he let them help?





	1. Prologue

Mornings come and go. Nights pass by ever so swiftly. As he resides in his apartment complex with his teammates next door, he watches out the balcony at the life below. 

Living somewhat between Inkopolis Plaza and Inkopolis Square, life can be busy. People make it to their jobs hour by hour, friends chatting as they walk down the street… It’s nice.

Though something always feels off about it.

Rider sits in a chair, watching rush hour continue through the busy streets of Inkopolis. The sun is blinding, it’s a beautiful summer day. Such a great day to sit back and relax…

Boring.

Rider gets up from his seat and continues to his seat, leaving the door open to let a breeze run though the muggy apartment. As he fans himself with one hand, he pulls his phone out with another. Ah, seems he has some texts. They’re all from a group chat he was annoyingly added to by everyone on Team Blue. Do they really think of him as that close of a friend…?

_ Goggles: im booooooored… zzz _

_ Bobble: hai bored im BOBBLE!!!!!!!  _

_ Goggles: alright, good to know :D _

_ Goggles: is anyone here up for anything? it’s so nice out i dont wanna waste daylight _

_ Specs: Sorry, Goggles, I’m already occupied. Decided to visit Jelfonzo for a nice outfit tuning for the weather. _

_ Goggles: why not just go shirtless :P _

_ Specs: That’s easy for you to say… and do. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen you shirtless. It doesn’t really phase me anymore. _

_ Headphones: Umm Goggles if you’re bored Bobble and I could probably meet up with you _

_ Headphones: She spent the night over at my place so she’s right here _

_ Bobble: shez rite lol _

_ FILE ATTACHED: [A picture of Bobble hanging her head off of the edge of Headphones’ bed as she sits atop the comforter.] _

_ Goggles: i wanna have a sleepover with u guys!!!!!!! that sounds so fun!!!!!! _

_ Headphones: I mean we could if you really wanted to but wouldn’t that be weird since you’re a dude _

_ Goggles: it doesnt have to be weird :P maybe we can crash at riders place!!!!!! im sure he wouldnt mind _

_ Goggles: rite? _

_ Rider: Uh. Yes i very much would mind. Its my house and my free time.  _

_ Rider: Besides you would keep my neighbors up the entire time. _

_ Goggles: how loud can we be if its just two gals and your bestest friend????? cmon man dont be such a loser _

_ Rider: Im not a loser. _

_ Rider: … _

_ Rider: Be here by noon. No later no sooner. _

_ Goggles: YAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!! _

Rider lets a small laugh exhale through his nose and he lays back on his couch and stares at the ceiling. As he stares, his vision begins to alter. His right eye cuts out as it’s vision becomes filtered. After a few moments, he blinks his eyes and it’s gone. Sighing, he rubs the scar on his right eye and sits up. “I hope that stops happening soon…” As he waits for the hour to pass before his friends arrive, he reads through his phone. Same old, same old…


	2. I Hope You Don't Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the party begins.

Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock-

"CALM DOWN! Geez, I'm getting the door..." Aw, seems someone decided to clean up before his friends came. As Rider puts back on his namesake jacket, he walks to the door. Opening it, he's greeted by three familiar faces. Headphones and Bobble are carrying two small duffel bags, whereas Goggles is holding an entire sleeping bag the size of his torso, clothes shoved inside. With a smile, Goggles greets his friend.

"We made it! May we come inside?"

"I mean, I'm not gonna keep you in the hallway." Rider moves out of the way to let the others in, shutting the door behind them and sitting down on the couch. "I didn't realize you guys were serious about the sleepover thing."

"Of course we were!" Goggles begins to wander around the house aimlessly, opening every door and looking inside. "Where can I put my things?"

Rider jolts up and runs over to Goggles. "Don't be treating this like it's your own house!" A small growl leaves his mouth. "Set your things in the living room. You'll be sleeping in there tonight."

"You too?"

"No. I have my own bed. I don't want to be woken up by your buffoonery." He scoffs, looking at the pile of things on the floor in front of his couch. Seems Headphones and Bobble have already gotten themselves adjusted. Strange. "...Anyways, you guys are guests. Is there anything you guys want? I think I have some soda in the fridge-"

Aaaaand as he offers the drinks Goggles has already wrapped himself up in Rider's blankets, somehow slipping into his pajamas midway into the act. It's not even the afternoon yet...

"Wh- GOGGLES! THAT'S MY FREAKING BED! GET OUT!"

"Too late... mine now. You can use my sleeping bag!" 

Rider stomps over to the blue-tentacled boy and picks him up in his blanket burrito. If he can carry a Gold Dynamo Roller with one hand, he can carry a comfortable Goggles, too. Rider's... annoyed. But somethings keeping him from fully annoyed by him. He shakes it off. Setting Goggles on the couch, he allows him to remain with the comforter. "Just give it back to me before we, um, sleep, alright?"

Goggles gives a nod in reply and remains snuggled up in the blanket. Looking at the two girls, he asks the same question from earlier. Quick-Jump Orange and Ink-Shoe Grape. Seems he had them saved over from a lunch at the Crust Bucket. Handing them over, he leaned over the edge of the couch. Resting his head on the palms of his hands, he stares down at Goggles, who appears to be playing on his phone in his little burrito. A small chuckle leaves Rider's mouth. "One track mind, huh." As he stares, the right side of his face begins to act up. Holding onto his face, he tries to hide his pain. Goggles looks... different. Very, very different. Looking at him makes him feel anger, melancholia, and... bloodthirsty. Bloodthirsty only for whats under Goggles' skin. He doesn't feel this way towards him, though... He would never...

"Listen, I- I'm getting a headache." The three look up to Rider, Goggles showing a bit more of concern than Headphones and Bobble. It blends in to the atmosphere of the other two, though. "I'm gonna go lay down for a moment."

"Are you alright?" Headphones stands up from where she's sitting. "Do you need anything to help the pain die down-"

"I'M FINE!" Rider covers his mouth, showing the side of his face. It's... glowing. It seems almost supernatural. Trying to cover both his mouth and his face, a tint of green and a gleam of sweat begins to appear across his face. "Just- You guys occupy yourself. Do whatever. I think I have something hooked up to the T.V. you can play." His words are weak and his breath is shallow. "...Leave me alone." He walks off to his room and shuts the door, locking it behind him. The sound of his mattress' springs can be faintly heard, followed by a big sigh. 

Headphones looks at the two, and back at the ground. She still stands alert, looking to his kitchen. "I-I'm going to look for painkillers. I hope his headache's okay."

"I'll follow...!" Bobble gets up and ends up somehow getting distracted onto her way to the kitchen. Listening closely, you can hear Bobble make weak attempts of using laughter to rid his headache, not knowing noise makes headaches worse. Small chuckles ring throughout the kitchen after every joke she makes to Headphones, the laughs accompanied by cupboards opening and closing.

Back in the living room, Goggles knows it isn't just a headache. He was there, up close and personal, to witness how he got these so-called chronic headaches. His friends only saw from a distance, but he doesn't understand why they don't realize what's going on. If only Hachi was here, maybe he could help Rider's situation, but Goggles knows more company- if not all company, will upset him in this state of mind. With the blanket wrapped around his shoulders, he puts his phone back into his pocket and heads towards the locked door at the end of the hall.

Hopefully he doesn't make things worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the story begins! Sorry for not including the Blue Gals in much, but hopefully this is good exposition? I'm excited to write even more, haha. I'll try to update daily!


	3. I Know It's Not Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two friends have a conversation, leading one to speak more than his brain wants him to.

"...Rider?"

Silence.

Maybe knocks will help. "Rider?" A few soft knocks follow after. 

Even more silence. Goggles sighs and sits down next to the door, his ear against the wood. 

Headphones and Bobble enter quietly, sitting down next to Goggles. Headphones holds painkillers in one hand and a cold washcloth in another hand. Bobble simply holds a glass of water, the same familiar smile on her face showing a tint of worry. "How's he doing? Have you talked to him yet?" Headphones asks, looking to Goggles.

"Not yet. I really hope he's okay."

"I mean, it's just a headache, isn't it?"

Goggles looks down to the blanket around his body and up to the two. "...You guys remember the Metro, right? We had to help Hachi."

"Uhhh... yeah! I think." Headphones looks over to Bobble, the two 'meeting eyes' before looking back at Goggles.

"You remember how on our way to the surface that telephone had to ruin it by, uh..." He leans over and whispers, "Tying you guys up and messin' with Rider's head?"

They both nod, before reaching realization what he's getting at.

"I think that seriously messed him up. He has that huge reminder on the side of his face, some of that's still gotta be inside him. It was... scary dealing with it firsthand. He wasn't himself at all." He takes a deep breath. "I really want to help him. He needs it... especially from his best friend-!"

The door opens, causing Goggles to fall back onto the floor. It's Rider.

"A-Ah! Rider! Bobble and I got you some things..."

Rider, looking at the supplies, rejects them. "I'm fine, just keep them on the kitchen counter. Thank you though."

Headphones and Bobble nod in unison before returning to the kitchen. As they leave, Rider pulls Goggles into his room and shuts the door. Confused, Goggles stands up and watches Rider walk to his bed, still fidgeting with the blanket in his hands.

"...I know you're concerned about me. But don't be. I'm fine." Sighing, he walks to his window and looks outside. "Seriously. You wanted to come over to party, right? Go do that. I'm fine." 

Goggles remains still, staring at the tentacles atop Rider's head, then down to the edge of his scar on his face. He spends a moment thinking about what went down, tensing and taking a step forward. "I-I know I can help somehow. You just need to let me-"

"I DON'T NEED TO DO SHIT!" Rider turns and throws his fist in the air, his eyes glazed over. "I swear I'm fine! Stop worrying about me-" He drops his fist to his face and begins to hold onto the side of his face, groaning in pain. His knees weaken, causing himself to fall to the floor and sit on the wall of his room, tears beginning to rush down his face as the throbbing pain left over from the paste rush through his head. Goggles, upon seeing this, runs to Rider, falling to his knees and trying to find something that can help. Looking around, he eventually looks down at himself and hands back over the blanket. "Uhhhh, hopefully this helps at all?" It doesn't help the pain in his face but it'll make him more comfortable.

"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" Rider turns his head away, his voice breaking. "LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LET ME BE ALONE!"

"Y-You brought me in here though, uh..." He looks around again and pulls out his phone. Looking through it, he opens his pictures and sits besides Rider. "Uhh-- I have some, uh, funny pictures that may help!" Showing his friend his phone, he begins to scroll. It seems to have little affect on Rider, but it still makes his brows unfurrow a bit. Seeing it's not really working, Goggles begins to think more. Suddenly, the lightbulb goes off in his head. "S-Sometimes when I'm upset, I-I breathe! Or I count-count to ten... I'm sorry I don't know how-how t-to help, but..." He stares at Rider. "...Repeat after me."

Goggles begins to slowly breathe, motioning his breaths with his hands raising and lowering. Rider watches his actions, slowly lowering his hand from his face. His scar is surely glowing, as is parts of his iris. He begins to copy Goggles, first breathing very roughly but slowing after time. Occasionally he'll reach back to his face when it hurts, but after a moment of breathing, he stands still. Looking away, he growls under his breath, "I hate thinking about it. IT- IT MESSES ME UP EVERY TIME!" The outburst made Goggles jump, though afterwards he still tries to regain his composure. "I-I don't know why it messes with me so badly but... It does." He still refuses to make eye contact with Goggles. "I-I hate that I tried to splat you! I may not seem like it but I don't want you splatted! To think it was almost by my hand..." He hits his palm against his forehead and sighs. "It messes me up, due to this thing on my face sometimes the feeling comes and I can't control it." He looks back over to Goggles for a moment before looking away once more. His face is drenched with tears. "...I'm sorry."

Goggles stares at Rider, his eyes welling with tears. He doesn't really know what to say, but... this is the first time Rider's opened up to him like this. The first time he thinks Rider's opened up EVER. Eventually, he thinks he's found the words.

"...If you ever need anyone to talk to about this, I'm here. Know that, 'k? You're my best friend, Rider. I don't want you feelin' like this." Goggles gives a small nudge on Rider's shoulder and a gentle smile. Standing up, he holds out a hand. "I know you don't want to party looking like this."

Rider looks up, wiping his eyes and taking Goggles hand. They let go once he's back on his feet, but he allows Rider into his bathroom to freshen up. Once out, he looks like nothing even happened. Looking at Goggles, he gives a smile. "Now how about we continue that sleepover, huh?"

"Yeah! I'm sure Bobble and Headphones will be happy to see you feeling better."

As they continue their banter, they leave Rider's room and enter the living room. Headphones and Bobble both greet Rider and ask him how he's feeling, making sure he's feeling his best and that he's ready for the night ahead of them. Seems the girls have already gotten into their pajamas, too. It's only noon, though...

If they're comfy, might as well let them be comfy. Let the festivities commence!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the angst begins. I know it doesn't seem like much but much more is to come of Rider opening up to people! Next chapter will be much happier. Promise. ;P


	4. Do I Really Care?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendships grow as a night of fun occurs.

"So, why exactly my place?"

Rider lays down on the couch, Goggles following behind and sitting on top of his legs. "Make room, Rider!"

"It's my couch! Get off of my feet!" Rider slides his feet out from under Goggles and shoves him over with the soles. Looking back over to the girls, he points at their bags. "Have you brought anything with you?"

"Uhhh... not really..." Headphones shrugged. Bobble added on, "We just thought you'd have everything!"

Rider replies with a facepalm, looking past the two. Well, uh, I have a TV? I have some games on it, too. I thought I said that already. You can play some of those."

"Oh, I call first player!" Goggles hops off the couch and grabs the controller, handing both Headphones and Bobble their controllers as well. Turning the channel to the right one, they turned on the game inside the console and began to play. As they played, Rider stared at the screen, and down at the three. Deep in thought, he continued to stare. _"These people really care about me, huh..."_ He shut his eyes and turned his head towards the ceiling. 

About an hour or so passed before the three got bored of video games. Putting their controllers back and turning off the TV, they all turned to Rider. "We wanna do something with you! What do you wanna do?"

Rider, dozing off, ignored them. Bobble crawled over to Rider and stared at him for a moment, before shaking him and yelling, "Waaaaaakkkeeeee uuuuuupppppp!"

Rider, in response, jumped and pushed Bobble onto the ground. Now awake, he was holding a hand to his chest and heavily breathing. "Please... don't wake me up like that!" He holds a hand out for Bobble, Bobble taking it and sitting back up. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay!" She gives a big grin.

Calmed down, Rider looks around. So you want to do something regarding me, huh..." He thinks. "Why don't you cook up some dinner or something. A bit of time has passed since you've gotten here, I'm sure you're hungry."

"What if we burn down the place, huh? What will you do then, huh?" Bobble giggles, standing up. The others follow.

"...I'll just hope you don't. Use whatever you want. I'll... eat whatever you make." _"Hopefully it won't poison me..."_

"Okay! I know you'll like what we make!" Goggles smiles and runs off to the kitchen with the girls. Rider chuckles before continuing to look at the ceiling. He just can't stop thinking about earlier. Did he really just act like that? Like a baby? Though, it did feel nice to finally let some tears shed, and Goggles did try his best to help. That doesn't stop it from being embarrassing to him. _"Hopefully he wont tell anyone about it... I really don't want my reputation to be ruined like that."_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Headphones and Bobble are trying to get things out of Goggles. 

"So, what did he tell you?" Headphones tilts her head, curious about the situation.

"I told you what was messing him up, isn't that all I really need to say?"

"It's not enouuuuggghhhhh..." Headphones groans, looking down to the food they're making. It's onigiri. It doesn't _look_ the best, but at least it's... edible?

"Well it's enough for both of us. I'm not going to talk about personal things my best friend told me NOT to talk to about! It's mean! I'm not mean!"

"Ugh, Goggles, you're being a buuuuzzzzkiiiilllllllll..." She returns her focus to the food. 

Shrugging it off, he begins to think about what was said between the two. I wonder if he can get anymore out of him. Maybe he'll try later. 

"O-Oh! I think we've finished the batch!" Headphones smiles as she takes the treats Bobble made and the... well... the single one Goggles made. Seems he was really thinking about things. Putting them on a tray, she walks out to the living room. "Riderrrrr, we're dooooone~!"

"Oh, really? What is-"

His eyes grow annoyed.

"Goggles. Was this your idea?"

"Yeah! You love onigiri, and since you were upset, I decided to make you-"

"Goggles, it's _you_ that likes onigiri. I don't really like it that much." Goggles' expression saddens, which loosens up Rider's mood towards the food. 

"Well, if you made it with _looooooove_ , then I guess I'll eat it." There comes his smile again. 

They spend the afternoon eating the surprisingly edible treat and making jokes. Headphones and Bobble are still trying to get dirt out of Goggles, which he refuses to tell every time. Soon the afternoon turns to night and everyone's had the energy taken out of them. Rider helps the three set up for bed in the living room, making sure they're all comfortable. As he gets up to leave to his room, he leaves a note for Goggles in his sleeping bag. 

Reaching his room, he shuts the door but leaves it unlocked. Shrugging off his coat and getting into bed, he shuts his eyes for a moment and smiles. The smile is followed by an inaudible whisper, his falling asleep proceeding it. 

Goggles, working himself into his sleeping bag, feels the note on his side. Thinking it's a tag, he tugs on it, only punching his thigh as a result. The raises the note to his face and reads it, smiling. Staring at the door down the hallway's lights shut off, his smile grows a teensy bit before he looks away and furrows into his sleeping bag, inevitably falling asleep.

Once everyone ended up finally falling asleep, it seems someone's woken back up again.

Is he... crying?

Oh no, this isn't good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hihi! Sorry if the chapter's shorter than usual, I had a fairly busy day today and had to save this until the nighttime. It's actually almost 1 am as I publish this! Some things seem rushed purely because writing it all in with an almost dead head probably isn't a very good idea, but I promise whatever I cut short I will make up for later! Thank you for reading!


	5. I Can Feel Everything Being Real Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two boys spend a night in the bathroom.

Rider wakes up in a cold sweat, feeling his face and staring into the darkness. “Am I seriously crying? It wasn’t even that bad of a dream…”

Getting out of bed, he walks to his bathroom and looks in the mirror. He continues to look, more and more intently at the scar on the side of his face. As he looks on, he begins to feel things he hasn’t felt since he was taken over. Not necessarily emotionally, but… physically. As a result, he begins to hit the side of his face. He continues once more. Soon, he’s repeating the same slap, it eventually turning into a punch. His face begins to bruise and he begins to cry once more. 

His body shakes violently as he ends up breaking down onto his counter, the bruise darkening as seconds pass. In the other room, the faint commotion from the bathroom wakes Goggles up. Slowly crawling out of his sleeping bag, he sneaks to Rider’s room and notices the bathroom light on.

“...Rrrider?” His tired voice rings throughout the room. “Y-You okay?”

The sobs suddenly quiet, though the sound of one choking back tears can be heard behind the palm of a hand. 

“Rider… I-I got your note… The-The one saying that you’d… like me to help you. Do you… need… help?” 

No response. Goggles tip-toes into the bathroom and peers around the door frame, only to see his friend weaker than he’s ever seen him. “Oh gosh, Rider…!” Making his way to Rider, he looks at his face and gasps. “Oh man! D-Do you need ice? Uhhh, I can get some maybe? Oh no, oh no no no…” 

Panicking, he makes his way quietly into the kitchen and grabs something cold for Rider, returning and gently placing it on his face. Rider winces at the feeling, wanting to push it off but can’t make himself really… do anything. He remains still, his body still shaking. 

“Are you okay? I- Oh my, I really don’t know what to do, I-“ Goggles, still panicking, tries to think of something that’ll help out his friend. Hands shaking, he looks up to Rider. “Uh… can you… sit down… for a moment?” 

Rider looks over to him, though he doesn’t budge. 

“...I’m… going to touch you, okay? Please don’t, um, freak out.” Goggles gently places his hands on Rider’s side, guiding him over to the toilet seat. He helps him down into the lid, not exactly wanting to let go of him. “Do you… want to talk about it? Or do you just… want it to be quiet…?”

“...Quiet. I… don’t want to speak.” His voice is soft, weak.

Goggles, nodding, sits down on the floor next to him. He looks up occasionally, but then back down to his own hands. Both of their breaths are loud as they fill the quiet space. Both are shaky, and both are extremely tired. Goggles quietly begins to hum a tune he heard on the TV earlier, a familiar song within society nowadays. He covers his mouth once he remembers that Rider wanted quiet. “Sorry,” he whispers.

Rider puts his hand on top of Goggles’ head and begins to run his fingers across the top of his tentacles. “You can… continue. I don’t mind.” His fingers, grazing repetitively on Goggles’ head, relaxes them both. Goggles begins to hum again, fidgeting with his shirt as he does. He’s… tired, but he doesn’t want to leave Rider alone. He cares about him, he doesn’t want him to get hurt again. He leans over and rests his head on Rider’s legs, which causes Rider to have a faint blush grow across his cheeks. He doesn’t mind, though. The company is nice.

“...Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“...Thank you… for helping me, Goggles. You’re… you’re a nice friend.” 

“O-Oh,” Goggles lets out a sigh, “Y-You-You’re welcome.” 

Rider remains silent for the rest of the night, soon dozing off from the relaxing atmosphere of his friend with him. Small snores accompany the humming, alerting Goggles. Seeing his friend asleep, he smiles. “Goodnight, Rider…” He ends up falling asleep on the bathroom floor, a faint smile on his face. He’s glad he could be there for his friend… really glad.

  
  


Hopefully they can have time together like this again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait in between chapters, I caught the stomach flu and decided to take some days to myself. 
> 
> This chapter is extremely personal to me. It’s an event I’ve been apart of many of times, thus I really had a nice time writing it. It was... relieving, considering I was in Rider’s position at the time. Writing is one of my my many outlets and so this chapter felt like a breath of fresh air to write. I hope you guys enjoy the read and I hope it makes you feel something somewhat familiar!
> 
> By the way, if you want to keep in touch with me, I have a Twitter! It’s @unhoiyknife. Not trying to self promote, but I do upload things about the fic on there so if you’d like instant updates I reccomend you reach me there!
> 
> To finish off, writing daily is kind of exhausting! If chapters come out slower, just know I’m preoccupied or just don’t have the muse. I will not take more than a week to update though, so don’t worry! This fic will not go unupdated.
> 
> See ya!


	6. Chilling at Specs’ Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goggles finds himself advice to help his friend with.

_Goggles: hey rider, thanks for letting us stay over!_

_Headphones: Yeah it was really great! We had a lot of fun ^^_

_Bobble: ditto!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Rider: I’m just glad you guys had fun. I had fun too :-)_

The gang reaches their apartment, all going into their respective rooms. Goggles plops down onto his bed and turns on his bedside radio. He can’t be in a silent room for too long, and he loves listening to music, so it works out.

The morning wasn’t very eventful. Rider woke up and noticed Goggles at his feet, carrying him back to his sleeping bag and waking them all up, pretending nothing happened. They got dressed, got packed, and said their goodbyes. Though, Goggles was still pretty confused from the night before. Why did Rider act like that around him? Rider was touching him and letting him hum… he never lets him hum around him! It’s strange… but it was nice.

Y’know, maybe he could ask!

_[Direct Message with Rider]_

_Goggles: hi_

_Rider: Uhhhh, hi?_

_Goggles: so like_

_Goggles: uh_

_Goggles: about last night..._

_Rider: Oh uh, yeah._

_Rider: Listen if you could just forget everything from then please do. It’s embarrassing._

_Goggles: well its rare that you act so friendly around people why would i forget it!!!! >:P _

_Rider: Please, man. Seriously._

_Goggles: well um ok._

_Goggles: haha well see uh_

_Goggles: see u!_

_Rider: Bye._

Goggles brings his hands to his face and groans. “Oh my gosh, you couldn’t even get a single word in! Doofus!” He looks through his phone before getting up and leaving his room. As he exits his apartment, he walks to Specs’ door and knocks… repetitively. As Specs opens the door, he gets his face knocked on as well.

“GOGGLES! What are you doing?!” Specs backs up and pushes his glasses back onto his face.

“Well, um, hi!” He chuckles. “Listen, I need bro help.”

“B-Bro help? Huh? What do you mean?”

“I-I don’t know! Well, I do, but- just let me in! I’ll talk about it once we’re like… private! It’s private stuff!”

Specs looks on and nods, letting Goggles in and shutting the door behind him. Moving him to the kitchen table, he sits down and continues the drink he first made when he woke up. Goggles sits across from him and faceplants in between his arms.

“Have you ever dealt with someone being like… really upset?”

“...In what context?”

“Well, you see… and don’t you dare tell anyone I told you this! Um… Rider’s been having a tough time ever since, uh, you know… the whole situation with that weird phone and stuff… and it seems to be really bad! I don’t know how to help other than just sitting there and doing nothing and it makes me feel stupid! What can I do?”

Specs takes a sip of his drink and tilts his head. “So his brain got all screwed up, okay. Well, I’m not an expert, but…” He thinks for a moment. “...Why not try to find something to get him out of his funk? Take him on a shopping spree if he’s into that. Maybe some Turf War. I don’t know, just try to distract him from anything that may or may not be bugging him. That’s the advice I’d give.” He sets his mug down and crosses his arms. “He seems to trust you if someone as reserved as him shows any kind of emotion around _you_. I don’t know why you of all people but… whatever.”

“Wow… you’re super smart, Specs!”

“Well, it’s just common sense. Maybe you’re just an idiot.”

“I’m not an idiot!” He frowns. “But… thank you for the advice! I’ll try to get in contact with him.”

“Good luck, Goggles.”

“...You wanna help me message him?”

“Huh? Isn’t that a violation of privacy?”

“Not really… it’s not like you’re reading through ALL of our messages!”

“...I guess. Fine, I’ll help you.”

“Yay! Okay,” Goggles grabs his phone and opens up his messaging app. “So what do I say to him first?”

“Well,” Specs scoots his chair closer to Goggles’, thinking as he looks at his phone. “Maybe start it with you asking if he’s available anytime soon.”

“Mhm,” He looks down to his phone and begins to type.

_Goggles: hey uh rider not to bug you again but are you free anytime soon?_

_Rider: What_

_Rider: I think I should be. Why?_

Goggles looks up from his phone. “What do I say now?”

“Well what did he say?”

“He asked why.”

“Just say you wanna hang out with him or something.”

_Goggles: i just think we should hang out soon hehe_

_Goggles: even though we just did_

_Goggles: you and i need to bond more!!!!_

_Rider: If this is about last night then don’t worry about it. I’m fine._

_Goggles: but riiiiiddeeerrrrr im your buddyyyyyyyyyy_

_Rider: What exactly do you want to do with me?_

_Goggles: i dunno! we could plan it tho:P_

_Rider: You’re confusing._

“I think I'm screwing this up.”

“Here,” Specs takes Goggles phone, “Is it okay if I play you for a bit?”

“But didn’t you just-“

“I’m not looking through your texts. I’m not intruding.”

“Uh… okay.” He begins to fidget with his jacket sleeve as Specs begins to type.

_Goggles: how about u and i go get lunch tomorrow_

_Goggles: thx_

_Rider: Huh_

_Rider: I mean I guess_

_Rider: Since when have you been Mr. Assertive?_

_Goggles: nunya business. see u then xoxo_

_Rider: Uh. Okay_

Specs chuckles and hands back his phone. “There you go, you have plans tomorrow.”

As Goggles reads over the texts, he slams his phone down screen-first and hides his face in his coat. “WHY DID YOU TYPE THAT?!”

“Type what?”

“Th-THE LETTERS! THE ONES AT THE END!”

“Aren’t you guys a thing?”

“NO?! ARE YOU STUPID?!” His face is completely flushed with a tint of blue. “You’re going to get me killed, man!”

“How will that get you killed?! I helped you like you asked!”

“HE’S GONNA THINK I LIKE HIM! I DON’T!”

“Mhm, alright. Well, if you need anything else, you know where I am.” He smirks and kicks his feet into his table, mug in hand.

Goggles stands up and shoves his phone in his pocket. “Yeah, uh… thanks, I guess. I’ll… let… you know next time.”

He gets up and leaves Specs’ apartment, walking to his own and texting Rider on the way.

_Goggles: oh my god im so sorry specs was on my phone i didnt mean to send that;_;_

_Rider: Send what?_

_Goggles: nothing see you tomorrow bye_

Goggles enters his own place and makes his way to his room, falling onto his bed and sighing. Hopefully tomorrow isn’t a bust… he really owes Specs after this despite his mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, I never thought this chapter would be about Specs being Goggles’ wingman but here he is! This was really fun to write and I’m glad I could expand on Goggles and Specs’ friendship more. I hope you enjoy the read!  
> EDIT: my dumas wrote like half of this at 1 am and half of this after nearly failing their driving test so there were lot of mispells but i think i fixed it ok


	7. Something Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small late-night call leads to quite an embarrassing morning.

It’s 12 am. Goggles can’t sleep for the life of him. He’s extremely worried about everything… about the lunch, about Specs’ suspicion, about Rider’s situation. He curls up in his bed, cuddling with his blankets. It’s… nice and warm. Comfortable. Maybe… nope, nevermind. He stays cuddling his sheets, pulling out his phone. It’s… late. A small call won’t be so bad… right?

He dials up his friend and puts it on speaker. Setting it by his head, he waits for a response.

“...Yyyou woke me up… what do you want…?”

The sound of his friend on the other side causes him to blush, tightening his grip on the blankets. “H-Hiiii, Rider, um…” He puts his head in his pillow and lets out a small scream before continuing, “About our daaateeee… weellllll…”

“...Date?” Well now he sounds slightly more awake than before.

“Yyyeaaaahhh... “ It takes him a moment to realize what he just said, and the sudden realization has him jumping upright and taking the phone in his hand. “Wait, nnn-nnno! I didn’t mean date! I just-- I just meant, uh, you know! Our hangout… thingy! Ugh!” Goggles lays back down and curls up, whispering curses towards Specs under his breath for getting the idea of anything romantic in between the two into his mind. “Uhhhh… Idon’twannadoit.”

“...Yeah, neither do I.” A small chuckle follows his statement. “I really just… don’t wanna go anywhere tomorrow…”

“...Oh, haha, yeah, uh… me too.” Goggles tries to think of a way to get his get together back on track. “Uh… if you… uh…. Hhhow about you, uh, come over instead…?”

“Listen, Goggles, I reeaaaallllyyyyy want to get some sleep… please, can we talk about it in the morning--”

“I can come pick you up and we can go get coffee!” He covers his mouth once he realizes how loud he just was, quieting in his next sentence. “I-I mean… Iiii could get the coffee fooorrrr yyoouuuu… I-I know what you liiiike… I’ve seen you order it a miiiillion times…”

“Yeah, it’s black coffee. Listen, I-”

“No it’s not! You like caramellll macchiattoooosss… how they’re bitter until you mix it up a bit n’ thennnn it gets sweeeeeet… hehe.”

“...Fine. I’ll meet you on my street tomorrow. I think it should be… uh… I think it should be a little chilly. Wear a coat. See ya.”

“Ah-h-! See y-” Before Goggles can finish the sentence, the line beeps. He hangs up on his side, not caring that he was just hung up on by his friend. Well… that relieved him just a little bit about the situation. He’s gotta make sure to talk to Specs before he leaves. He curls up with his blankets once more before falling asleep soundly.

* * *

“Uughhhh… what time is it…?”

Goggles wakes up with his limbs sprawled across the bed, drool soaking his pillow and his eyes so tired he can barely open them. He looks over to his phone only to realize he has an hour left until the alarm he set goes off, though since he’s already awake it’s not like he can sleep.

Groaning and sitting up, he hops out of bed and heads to the bathroom. As he begins to get himself ready, he remembers his reminder from last night. Hopefully Specs is awake by now… if not then he will be soon!

“Ahh~! All ready,” He excitedly exclaims as he puts on his coat and steps outside, heading over to Specs’ place once more. He begins to rapidly knock on the door, yelling, “HEYYYY SPEEEECCCSSSSS! WAAAKKKKEEEEE UUUUUPPPPPPP~!”

“Can you please shut up?” It’s Headphones peering from her door. She barely looks awake. “Some people would rather wake up on their own, thank you very much.” She shuts the door, grumbling heard from behind. “Oh, uh, sorry!” Goggles chuckles, embarrassed.

The door in front of Goggles begins to open slowly, a half-awake Specs appearing behind it. He hasn’t even had time to put on his namesake Retro Specs yet. Goggles got him at a great time. 

“Sweet, you’re awake! We need to talk.” He pushes Specs into his apartment, shutting his door for him and sitting down on his couch. “So, I need to talk to you.”

“Can it wait?” Specs begins to walk to his room to fetch his glasses, coming back out with them on, fixing his hair up into its classic ponytail. He stands near Goggles, crossing his arms. “I kind of would’ve loved to sleep more.”

“Your sleep can wait! We have important matters on hand!” Goggles pouts and begins to kick his legs softly. “I’m supposed to pick up Rider very soon… and I just need advice on how to seem normal around him!”

“So you like him.”

“NO I DON’T!” He throws his head back. “I-I just don’t want him to have one of his fits and I don’t want to seem useless during it!”

“...Just... don’t leave him alone unless he says so, I guess. Give him soft words to keep him calm.”

“Huh? So you want me to talk about puppies and kitties?”

“Ugh, you don’t get it. I mean… tell him things’re gonna be alright. Do something calming, like, uh… massaging him or something. I don’t know, I don’t really help people with mental breakdowns often.”

“Hmmm… well, I mean-” Goggles thinks of what he did before, but doesn’t speak of it. He doesn’t want to be teased more. “...Nevermind. I’ll… try something like that.” 

“There you go. Text me if you need anything, okay? I’ll be your support. You two go have fun making out or whatever couples do.”

“FOR THE LAST TIME, WE AREN’T TOGETHER! I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me, okay? Why don’t you get that into your peabrain for once.”

“Peabrain? You need to realize that’s you, not me. You’ll see it soon.” He chuckles. “Now go have fun. You have my number.”

“Yeah… okay. See ya, Specs. Thanks for the help.” Goggles stands up and sticks his hands in his pockets.

Specs nods and pushes him out of the room, sending him into the hallway. Shutting the door, he groggily heads back to his room and goes back to sleep. Goggles, on the other hand, heads gleefully for his friend’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi so first off the titles of this fic have all been based off of songs from in love with a ghost's "healing" but ive ran fresh out of ways to alter the titles so i'm gonna stick to their other song titles for chapter titles still, its extremely cheesy but its cute and their music being so soft fits this fic shut up
> 
> second of all its 2 am so i dont care about putting effort into the end notes this time, hopefully that makes sense. also considering its 2 am sorry if anything doesnt make sense maybe i wont get a computer virus next time and have to push my muse to activate later HDFIYDFHUOFDGFDHKLHFDS
> 
> thank u for reading this chapter... more to come as usual hehe
> 
> edit: the minute i uploaded this i noticed the formatting did a fucky wucky so im so sorry i fixed that i think  
> edit edit: despite being like 3 pages on the docs i write my fics on this turned out to be short as FUCK so im so sorry about that next chapter will 100% make up for that. thank you i hope despite being short its still good


	8. Thinking About You (JK)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rider gets himself into deep, deep trouble.

“Oh, you’re finally here.”

Goggles walks up to rider, holding two cups in his hands as he hands Rider’s over to him. Goggles just got himself a hot chocolate instead, but it sure is keeping him warm.

“Sorry if I’m at all a little late! I got a bit distracted on my way here…” He gave a small chuckle and took a sip of his drink. “We should get going.”

“About time. It feels illegal just standing here.” He smiled and began to walk, Goggles following behind. He occasionally looks up to Rider, to stare at his scar, looking back down to keep suspicion from rising. Holding onto his cup, thoughts arise in his head. The looks continue, though he ends up looking forward on his path. 

“...We should be there soon.”

“Hmm? Oh, cool.” He nods, looking around. “Hey kid, you okay? You’ve been quiet.”

“Oh, uh… yeah! Yeah, I have been. Uh--” He points ahead. “Right there, my place is right there.”

Guiding Rider inside and up to his own apartment, he opens the door for Rider and closes it behind him once he’s inside. “Uh, welcome to my humble abode! It’s not as fancy as your place, but…”

“I like it. It’s simple.” He sits down, setting his coffee on the table in front of him. “Y-You like it? Well, thank you! That’s very nice of you.” Goggles sits next to Rider, keeping his distance. “Has your, uh, you know, been giving you any trouble?”

There’s a pause. “...A little. I’ve managed. Not really in the best ways, though…”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I just kind of… let it do its thing. I, uh, cried a lot… you know, stuff like that.”

“Crying isn’t a bad way to solve a problem! It’s good! You need to stop being so harsh on yourself.”

“I’m not harsh on myself.” He folds his arms tight to himself. “I just have standards. I don’t like crying just as much as you don’t like going two seconds without giving some poor passerby secondhand embarrassment.”

“Hey! Be nice!”

“It’s true.” He stares down at Goggles and gives a small smirk. “You know it.”

Goggles’ cheeks tint as he nods, trying to hide his face without making it obvious. “Yeah, uh… I guess I do.”

“Well, have I embarrassed you, Goggles?” A small snicker escapes from his sly appearance. “That’s new.”

“I’m fine. I’m not embarrassed.”

“Then what’s up with your cheeks? I can tell from here they’re getting warmer and warmer the more I go on about this.”

“Sh-shut up! Just be quiet!”

“Nope.”

“Aaahhhhh! Riiiiider, stoooopppppppp!” He gives Rider a small shove on his arm. Rider winces at the push, though it didn’t hurt him. He stares at Goggles for a moment, before looking away. “...Sorry, I just… don’t handle those things quite well right now.” He’s holding onto his arm as he speaks. “It hurts worse when all you can feel is… well… like trash. I hope you understand.”

“O-Oh!” Goggles nods, looking the opposite direction as a faint blush shows across his face.

“Yeah, I totally get it! I feel like that too most of the time… Are you okay If I warn you first then?”

“I mean, sure, but why would you be touching me anytime soon?”

“Oh, uh, well, I mean… in case I gotta help you again, I guess!” He places his chin in the palms of his hands, still looking away from the other. “Y’know… like the other night.”

“I told you to forget about that.”

“I can’t, man. I care about you too much to just forget that you’re suffering that much!” A small pout forms on his face, followed by a sigh. “And before you complain about me caring about you, I’m your friend. Your best friend I’d like to call it! Best friends are supposed to care about their friends.”

“...Whatever.” He grabs his coffee and drinks it, setting it back down and peering over at Goggles. “So, whatcha got here? Anything cool?”

“Well, uh… not really! I’m not really at home that much… usually out and about, hehe.”

“Then why’d you invite me over…?” Rider looks annoyed.

“Well, um…” He can’t just say his friend arranged it, and he can’t make it seem soft towards him, so…

“...To get your mind off of anything bugging you! Like I said, I’m worried about you… I want to make sure you have some time to keep your mind off of, well…” He points to Rider’s face. “That!”

“It’s really not as big of a deal as you think…”

“But Rider! I saw you an absolute wreck over it! I just want you to be okay…” Goggles leans over and looks down at the floor. “Um… can I check it out for a second?”

“Huh? Oh, well, I guess.”

Goggles nodded and Rider turned his head to reveal his scar to Goggles. The blue boy slowly raised his hand to the scar and gently caressed it. It’s ice cold, softer than the rest of his skin, too. He slowly continues to graze over the mint color, so focused he doesn’t notice Rider’s flushed expression. He seems… relaxed in a way.

“Is it… cold to you?”

No response from Rider. He looks like he could simply fall asleep. He leans back in the chair and slowly breathes, glancing at Goggles before returning to his spacing out, only to realize Goggles is staring right at him. “Oh, shit- what was the question?”

Goggles chuckles,continuing his stokes. “...Is it cold?” 

“I guess you could say that. All I really feel from it is pain.”

“Pain? Oh no, are you okay right now?”

“It always hurts, just not as bad most of the time. It flares up when I’m upset or startled.”

“...Sorry. Um, I have a solution I could give for whenever I’m in pain. My G-Ma always does it with me.”

“Oh?” Rider tilts his head.

“Yeah, here, lemme show you.” Goggles scoots closer to Rider and sits up, reaching Rider’s cheek after adjusting. Cupping his chin in his hands, he gives Rider a small peck on the corner of his eye and leans back into his seat afterwards. Rider, in total shock at this action, held his face softly as his face turned a bright yellow-green. Goggles doesn’t exactly seem to see  _ what _ he did wrong. “It doesn’t look like your pain went away. Weird, it usually works for me…”

“Y-YOU… YOU KISSED ME! HOW DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT?!”

“That wasn’t a kiss! It was magic!”

“Then what does your grandma call it?”

“A magic… kiss. Oh no.” Aaaand here comes the blush on his face, too. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! Oh, geez… I’m really, really sorry…” He hides his face in his jacket and let out a small whine. “I’m sooorrryyyy…”

Rider sighs and places a hand on Goggles’ back. “Hey, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it, you didn’t know it was a kiss… for some reason. Iiiiit got rid of the pain, though!” In actuality, the fact that his best friend just kissed him made it worse, but he’s just trying to make Goggles feel better.   
“R… Really?”

“Yeah, really.” He smiles. “Now calm down, you’re freaking out over nothing.”

Goggles peers up from the collar of his coat and looks Rider in the eyes. “O-Okay. I just… feel silly. Friends don’t kiss each other, right?”

“Uh, right. Listen, dwelling on it won't get you anywhere. Just drop it.”

“...Okay.” His head comes out of his collar as he awkwardly stares at Rider, Rider staring back. The mood is just weird all around. How else are you supposed to react after your friend kisses you? Not much you can do but think.

“...Can I use your restroom? I, um… I need to- yeah.”

“Oh- yeah, go ahead.” Goggles clears his throat and watches as Rider makes his way.

As Rider enters, he shuts the door and stares at himself in the mirror, grazing the spot that Goggles kissed. Despite how it made him feel, it was soft. That entire moment before was incredibly soft. For a single moment, he could forget about everything. He could forget about the pain, the memories, the urges. He was able to shut his eyes for once without seeing the fear in his friends’ eyes play on repeat. Rider’s elbows rest on the counter, his face into his palms. “Look at the mess you’ve gotten yourself into, Rider. You’re such an idiot.” He lets out a small chuckle and continues to stare at himself in the mirror, spacing out. The sound of his friend asking him if he’s okay snaps him out of his daydream. “Uh, yeah! I’m fine!” He sits back up. “I just needed a moment.” Rider takes a few deep breaths before stepping out and looking at Goggles. The small glance from over Goggles shoulder towards Rider is enough to make him flustered.

“You seemed stressed.”

“Like I said, I’m fine.” He remains near the bathroom door. “I’m just thinking about things, y’know?”

“What kind of things?”

“...I don’t need to tell you everything I think about.”

“I hope it’s nothing bad… You know you can tell me if it is, right?”

“Yeah, I do.” Rider gave a small thumbs up before shoving his hands into the pockets of his namesake jacket. “Hey, uh, actually… I’ve been having a lot of nightmares recently. Do you think I can stay over here for the night? I think having you to help with ‘em might make my nights less rough. Like… like when you stayed at my place. I didn’t dream that night, and it’s better than what I’ve been dealing with.” Rider tries his best to avoid looking at Goggles. “I just like what you do to help, I guess.”

“Oh, uh, sure! I don’t know if my pajamas will fit you, but… sure!”

Rider nodded, “Thanks, Goggles.” This night is going to be one helluva night, for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not many notes, but hey this chapter isn't a mess finally! Or at least... actually has some effort put into it.
> 
> I think I might conclude this fic next chapter or the chapter after next, though that won’t be all for my writing! I’ll continue to write more and more, this was just a start. If any of you want to see anything from me feel free to let me know, and I’ll try to write it. Thank you for reading!


	9. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rider and Goggles have some bro time.

Rider sits down next to Goggles and continues to avert his eyes. He doesn’t really want to speak- not like he really has anything to say. He just enjoys the company, that’s the entire reason he wanted to stay. The company of his friend, of Goggles, soothes him. It makes him feel like he’s safe, though he’d never actually say that. He has a reputation to uphold, and being mushy can’t ruin that. 

He remains silent, Goggles breaking the mood with a worrisome, “Are you hungry? You seem nervous. A good snack can usually cure that for me.” He gives a toothy grin before standing back up. “Maybe helping me out will get your mind off of whatever!” 

“Huh?” He breaks out of his daydream and nods, standing back up himself. Well that didn’t last long. “I’m… really not that hungry, but if you think it’s what will help.” The corners of his mouth curl slightly, his hands returning to his pockets as he follows Goggles into the kitchen.

“So what do you wanna make?”

“Don’t care.”

“Well that doesn’t help!”

“I’m just not hungry for anything. Can we cook later?”

“But Riiiiider… I wanted to make you something…”

“You’ve already spent your money on me, I don’t need anything else.” He gives Goggles a pat on the shoulder, Goggles tensing for a moment before resting. “Alrighty then. Maybe we can, uh, get you situated for tonight? Since all of your stuff is at home… and so when you’re tired, you don’t have to wait to sleep!”

“...Sure.”

“Okay! But I’m for sure cooking you something later, even if it sucks.” Goggles runs off to his room, Rider following behind. Looking around, it’s a simple room. Bed in the middle, a couple of desks around with lamps and knick knacks atop the, a shelf for his Splattershot… the usual. Rider takes in his surroundings as Goggles scurries though his dresser, looking for something that might’ve gotten stretched out on accident or clothes of the wrong size at the bottom of the drawer.

“You have a shirt on under your jacket, right?”

“Wh- Yeah, duh! Why wouldn’t I?” His cheeks heat up at the question, but not enough that it's noticeable. 

“You miiiight have to wear that to bed, but-!” He pulls out an old pair of what looks like basketball shorts, though they aren’t as silky. “These things fit everyone! Here, try it on!”

“...Where.”

“My bathroom, silly! Just outside the door. Tell me how they fit! If not… just sleep in what you’re wearing.”

“...I know where your bathroom is…” He makes his way to try on his friends pants, leaving Goggles in the room alone. Waiting patiently, he thought about what to do with his friend. He didn’t want to be repetitive, but he wanted to make sure Rider had fun. They’ve already made things weird between each other with their ‘healing situation,’ though maybe just being able to accompany him through what he’s going through is enough? He’ll find something, he knows it. 

The door opens, Rider walking in with the borrowed shorts in hand. “They seem to fit,” A small smile on his face. “Where do I put it for now? Like… should I just keep it on the couch, or…” He shrugs. “I should probably put it wherever I’m sleeping. Can I sleep on the couch, by the way?

“U-Uhm, well-” Goggles perks up before biting his tongue and nodding. “I guess you can sleep on the couch if you want. Do you need me out there with you or anything?”

Rider paused for a moment, holding onto the shorts tightly. “...Maybe. I’ll let you know.”

“Ah- Alright!” Goggles gives Rider a small thumbs up. “Here, let me get some blankets for you…” Goggles heads to his closet, digging around for a spare blanket and pillow. As he looks, Rider decides to browse around Goggles’ room, specifically focused on his signature weapon. He analyzes it; all of its scratches, marks, dents, and stains from some bitter splotches of ink that never cleaned off correctly. Shutting his eyes, he thinks about all of the times he’s seen his friend win with this little shooter, more specifically the times he’s battled and won against himself. His eyes open as his shoulder is tapped, turning around to see Goggles offering a heavy blanket and a soft pillow. Both are appropriately blue, much like the inkling himself. “Feel them, see if you like them.”

Rider looks down at the blanket before running his hand across the blanket, nodding. “Looks good. What about you? Uh, if you sleep out with me that is.”

“Oh, I can just take my own blankets from my bed! Don’t you worry.” He’s about to give Rider a small pat on the head, but hesitated and instead gives a thumbs up. “Let’s go set this all up- we can do stuff afterwards! I thought of some things while you were changing.” No he didn’t.

“Hmm, alright.” He takes the two items and carries them off to his friend’s living room, his friend following suit.

* * *

The day went by as the two played around. They cooked themselves lunch, messed around in the halls, bugged Goggles’ teammates… as the day began to fade away, Goggles noticed that Rider was beginning to become more and more out of it as time passed. Maybe night is when his pain flares up the most? He didn’t want his friend crashing so early, and he didn’t want his friend to stay up all upset. 

So he knew the perfect thing to do.

He looked up to Rider, the two both resting atop Rider’s sleeping setup. A distance is still kept, not wanting things to get awkward again. Goggles scoots an inch closer to Rider, who’s dozing off big time. His eyes flickering as he tries to stay awake, remaining still when they aren’t. It’s almost like he’s in his own little world, like nothing exists but himself and whatever’s managing to keep himself conscious. Goggles almost feels like he’s sitting beside a zombie, though Rider is far from dead. 

“Hey, um, Rider?”

It takes Rider a moment- no, almost a minute- to even respond to Goggles calling his name. Goggles tries a couple more times before he finally lands himself back onto Earth. “Huh- What’s up…?” His voice sounds dead.

“...You okay?”

“Oh, um- I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“...” He scoots closer. “Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

Rider spends a moment thinking of something to come up with, only to have nothing. “...Things.”

“What kind of things?”

“I-I don’t fuckin’ know- stuff.”

“...Hey, if you need to talk, we can talk.”

“I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to do anything.” 

Goggles sighs, standing up and wrapping what he can of his blanket around Rider. “Hey, listen, I know a place I like to go to whenever I’m feelin’ down- it’s the best time to go, too! The sun is just about to set…”

Rider takes a moment to respond, only to wrap his blankets around him more and stand up. “Let’s go.”

“O-Oh! Well, awesome! Okay!” Goggles ran out the door, holding it open for Rider. The two walked a few flights of stairs upwards, Rider trailing behind greatly the entire time. The two eventually reached a door, the door leading to a  _ smaller _ flight of stairs. Those stairs led to the roof of Goggles’ apartment building. 

The sky was a mixture of pinks and oranges, the few clouds up ahead moving in as the sun rests beyond the horizon. Goggles looks to Rider, pointing at his hand. Rider nods, holding out his hand for Goggles to hold. Taking a gentle grip, he brings the two to the edge of the roof. Sitting down, they both look out to the city as it remains as active as ever.

“Isn’t it pretty, Rider? You can see everything from here…”

Rider stares out into the distance as he spaces out again. He looks at the cars passing by down below, the sounds of their wheels against the pavement turning into white noise almost. He takes the blanket and tugs it tightly around his body, still staring at the ground. Minutes pass before he turns his eyes up to stare out into the distance, his head lowering until it meets with Goggles’ shoulder. Goggles blushed, resting his head atop his friends as the moment remains silent. They stay motionless until the sun finally becomes unseen, Rider perking back up and standing. “I think I wanna go back down. It’s getting cold, and my jacket doesn’t really do anything for me.”

“What about the blanket?” He turns his head to look at Rider.

“...Let’s just go back.” 

They return to Goggles’ room, Rider throwing the blanket back onto the couch and shrugging off his jacket. “I’m gonna go get ready for bed, alright?”

“Alright!” Goggles smiled and headed to his own room to do the same. As Goggles finished preparing himself with a T-shirt and shorts, he made his way to his bedroom door- only for Rider to open it himself. “Oh- I should’ve probably knocked, sorry.”

“I-It’s okay, Rider!” He smiled. “Do you… need something?”

Rider tried to figure out how he was going to word this. He didn’t want Goggles to think he liked him, and he didn’t want to have him think he’s a total creep. Rubbing his scar gently, he blushed and pointed to his Goggles’ bed. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” Immediately after the words left his mouth, he cupped his mouth with his hands. “Shit, no! I meant: Is it alright if you sleep with me? Ugh, that sounds pervy… Uhhh...”

“...Rider, if you don’t want to sleep on the couch, that’s fine.” Goggles chuckles, letting Rider inside. “I know my bed can fit two people. You may be bigger than my friends, but I’ll find room.”

“Uh, thanks.” Rider moves himself to Goggles’ bed, sitting down on the edge. Goggles sits in the middle, close to Rider.

“Hey,” Rider speaks, his back turned to the blue boy, “Thanks for taking me to the roof.” He holds his hands together, watching his fingers intertwine. “I wasn’t in a very good mindset during all of that- I’m sorry for not telling you, but seeing what you showed me helped me calm down. For a moment, I could finally get my mind off of all the horrible nonsense my brain keeps shoving at me. Your company made it seem like I was in a whole new world- but in a good way!” A small chuckle left his mouth. “You don’t mind me being all weird, and I like that! You don’t mind all of my mind nonsense, you don’t mind that I’ve changed, you don’t mind at all! It’s great! I-I don’t know, but feeling like this is new. It’s amazing. I don’t really know what it is but… I love it.” He stops himself after saying those three words, silencing. “Ssssorry ‘bout that. Don’t- don’t repeat anything I said. It’s dumb… and mushy. You probably think I’m all soft and shit now, huh…” He raises his knees to his chest, his face emitting a bright lime glow throughout. 

Goggles takes a moment to take in his words, laying on his back and shutting his eyes. A small smile grows on his face, a small blush on his cheeks, too. It’s nice to hear his friend is so grateful for him and all he’s doing. It’s good to know he’s not screwing it all up. He hasn’t said anything back- which he probably should. Rider’s getting nervous he just ruined everything with his best friend, but Goggles doesn’t exactly know what to do or say. All he can do is let out a laugh- it’s not condescending at all, just a small giggle. Sitting back up, he motions for Rider to turn around. Rider, his attention caught, stares at Goggles for a moment before being pulled in close by the boy. The space between them closes in an instant, more blush growing on both of the inklings’ faces. Rider slowly moves his hands to Goggles’ shoulders, Goggles still holding a grip on Rider’s shirt. This event was unexpected between the two, though very much seen and very much needed. The tension was already growing so dense, so thankfully they could finally seal the deal-  _ literally. _

The kiss lasted until they couldn’t breathe, Rider nearly shoving Goggles off of him to catch his breath. His eyes look shaky, his face sweaty, and his heartbeat could be felt through the mattress. “Y-Y-Yyyoouuuu- I-“

Goggles’ expression wasn’t much different, though his face had more of a tone of excitement rather than complete shock. “I-I kissed you. On- On the lips. I kissed Rider on the lips.” 

“Y-Yyyyyyy—“ Rider looks like he could nearly die. That was definitely the last thing he was expecting to come in return from his tangent- though he isn’t exactly complaining. “G-G-Gooooog-Goggles?”

“Y-Yeah, what’s- what’s up?”

“You- You just kissed me.”

“Yeah, I-I did.”

“What- What the fuck. What the fuck?”

Goggles giggled, throwing his head into the lap of the other. “You, um, alright?” 

Rider looked down at Goggles before shutting his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Heh,” Goggles took a grip onto his own shirt, fidgeting around as he thought. “Bet you aren’t gonna be— gonna be thinkin’ about bad stuff for a while now, huh?”

“I said shut uuuuppp!” Rider covered his face and groaned. “Shut up shut up shut up shut up!”

“Are you really that upset about it?” Goggles frowns. “Well, then, it won’t happen again. At least you’re upset about something that isn’t your brain gunk.” His frown perks up into a smile briefly, before Rider uncovers his face to look down at his friend. “No, I- I’m not upset, it… it just surprised me. I’ve never really been kissed is all, and it just… spooked me, y’know? You remember what I told you about my whole situation…”

“O-Oh! Well, um…” A flustered laugh leaves his mouth. “I’m… glad I could be your first kiss!” Goggles gently takes a hold of Rider’s hand, making sure it’s alright to do so. “I hope it was, um, alright, despite the situation. I-If you want, we can try again!”

Rider just about died when he said that. Taking grip of his hand, Rider covered his mouth with his other and shrugged. “I-I don’t think so. I think I’ve had enough of that for a single day.”

“Well, alright, then!” Goggles smiles and nods. “Y’know, I like you when you’re like this. You’re silly when you’re all grumpy and stuff, but nice you is cool, too.”   
“Don’t get used to it.” A small sigh sounds from behind his hand. “Literally only you are allowed to see me like this. Tell anyone and you bet you’re dead meat.” Rider tries not to look at Goggles, though he can’t help but stare. “You’ve already seen me at my worst, how else can I ruin my image around you?”   
“Ruin your image? Rider, if anything, it’s boosted your image for me. Shows me just how much more awesome you are.”

“....Sssshhhhhh.” Rider uncovers his mouth only for a grin to appear, his cheeks tinted his familiar yellow-green. 

“Whatever. Now get up, I’m tired.” Goggles sat up, allowing Rider to hop off of the bed so Goggles can get under his sheets. Rider follows suit, keeping his distance from Goggles, whom of which looks to Rider and asks, “Hey, um, is it… okay… if I like… use you as a stuffed animal or something? It’s comfortable…”   
“Wh- uh… sure?” Rider awkwardly shuffles closer to Goggles, Goggles gently wrapping his arm around Rider. Resting his head underneath his chin, he slowly begins to drift to sleep. A small mumble leaves his mouth as he falls asleep, extremely audible to Rider.   
“Mmmnn… Goodnight… I love you…”   
Rider freezes, slowly repeating Goggles’ action, resting his chin on top of his head. “Uuhmm, uh, I-I love you, too.” It takes a bit longer for Rider to fall asleep, but rest assured, he does. And lucky for him, thankful for the night before and the care he’s been given, being woken up by any bad dream is quickly solved by the comfort his friend brings him. This night may have dreams, but he’s safe. He’s happy.

* * *

The next morning things go just as usual. The two wake up, both acting like the previous night never happened. They both get themselves ready for the day, Rider says his goodbyes, and suddenly they’re alone again. Not in a bad way, of course. As Rider walks to his own place, he remembers all of the things him and Goggles did together, a small grin appearing and a few giggles leaving his mouth. As he arrives, he grabs his phone out and texts his friend.

Rider: Hey Goggles. I’ve been thinking   
Rider: Why don’t you and I hang out more? We need to get closer since you already know so much bs about me and shit. It’s only fair  
Goggles: uhhh… sure!   
Goggles: you wanna like   
Goggles: do lunch or something tomorrow?  
Rider: Hmmm   
Rider: Sure, sounds good. See you then   
Goggles: yeah see ya!!!!!!!! 

Rider sighs a happy sigh, walking to his room. And to think just nights ago he was miserable. Well, he still is, but just a little less with his little walking ball of blue sunshine by his side.

He couldn’t be more thankful for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm finally updating! Now let me explain my absence.  
> \- I'm very sad hence being unmotivated to write.  
> \- I have a new child (kitten) I have to take care of.   
> \- I just haven't wanted to write for a while.
> 
> Though here it is! I hope this ending is alright, sorry if it sounds like trash. I get inspiration spurts at like 1 am and 1 am only so things may sound weird. I will definitely write much much more regarding these two and others, so don't worry! Here's just a good ol' chapter of fluff infused with angst. If any of you want to see anything from me let me know, my Twitter is once again @unhoiyknife if you'd like to contact me. Thank you for reading!


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